Why is walking spelled with a L?

The "L" in "walking" is there because of the history of the word. It comes from the Old English word "wealcan," which means "to roll" or "to move." Over time, the word evolved into "walkan" and then "walken" before finally becoming "walking."

The "L" wasn't originally there, but it got added in a process called "metathesis," where sounds in a word get swapped around. This is a common phenomenon in language evolution.

So, while the "L" might seem a bit odd, it's actually a testament to the way words change over time.